UPDATE: Driver crashes stolen car on Sylvan Way after Westwood Village incident

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

3:47 PM: What’s reported to be a two-vehicle crash is blocking eastbound Sylvan Way near Sylvan Heights Drive. At least one person is reported injured.

(Reader photo)

3:50 PM: Thanks to the texter who sent the photo of the police response. (added) One of the cars involved is reported to be stolen, a Honda Accord.

(WSB photo)

4:26 PM: At the scene, police confirmed to WSB that the driver of the stolen car (photo added above) was also the suspect in a reckless-driving situation at Westwood Village just before this. The driver is in custody, also suspected of DUI. The car, meantime, is being towed, and Sylvan should reopen to traffic soon.

5:13 PM; Just went through – Sylvan Way has fully reopened.

Kyle April 16, 2022 (3:58 pm)

Wondering if this is related to the man that was driving chaotically all over the westwood village parking lot. It’s a miracle someone wasn’t killed.

WSB April 16, 2022 (4:10 pm)

It’s sounding like that’s a possibility. We’re trying to get over to the crash scene to ask police, but when Sylvan Way is blocked off, it’s uniquely hard to access …
Lex April 16, 2022 (4:31 pm)

That’s him. He almost hit me in the Westwood parking lot. Much thanks and love to the women that consoled me after. One helped me with my groceries and wouldn’t leave until I felt safe. An angel. We need our police more than ever.
- WSB April 16, 2022 (4:32 pm)
  
  We’ve added a photo of the car and police confirmation that this is the suspect in the Westwood Village incident.
- John April 16, 2022 (8:13 pm)
  
  We need many more police.

Gumball April 16, 2022 (4:07 pm)

I was driving up Sylvan when this happened. The guy was going at least 50mph and swerving into oncoming traffic to avoid cars. He almost hit the car in front of us right before he spun out and the cops pulled up after him.

WS Resident April 16, 2022 (4:19 pm)

Fund the police!

Amy April 16, 2022 (4:44 pm)

I think there’s enough tax dollars in that picture.
- Jackie April 16, 2022 (5:16 pm)
  
  If you would’ve been at Westwood, your opinion would be completely different. I saw several people nearly hit, jumping, running and shielding their children.
  - Amy April 16, 2022 (7:06 pm)
    
    Why do you assume I wasn’t? I am the one that took the picture above, so my neighborhood is directly effected by this accident. Please tell me how more police would have stopped this from happening since they were following him from Westwood.
    - Spicy Eight Piece April 16, 2022 (8:03 pm)
      
      Okay then. <scribbles in notebook> That’s a ‘no added police protection required’ for Amy. Anyone else? Personally, I will take as much community protection right now as we can get. Great job SPD!
  - Bus April 17, 2022 (1:25 am)
    
    Being almost killed by a motorist is a regular occurrence for anyone who walks as a primary mode of transportation. As one of these people I can tell you with certainty that protecting pedestrians is not at ALL a priority for SPD. I’ve been nearly mowed down countless times downtown with officers watching, but unless the person looks a little homeless, they don’t really care what motorists do. Not going to support forking tax dollars over to those who do so little with my money just to assuage people’s feelings. Police don’t prevent crime, they just show up after the fact and document it for the insurance claims (if you’re lucky… sometimes they won’t even write a report).
- Kai April 16, 2022 (9:09 pm)
  
  Oh dear Amy. I can clearly see your Monday night quarterbacking in play! Plus your 20/20 hindsight and ability to predict the past! Since this happened in front of your condo, would you have had a different opinion if the “perp” was armed & only 1 police unit responded? Based on the WHOLE scenario, you & many other people are able to continue going about their daily business unharmed.
LauraPalmer April 16, 2022 (7:57 pm)

Fund mental health services! This is a national epidemic.
John April 16, 2022 (8:17 pm)

Agree 100% with increasing police funding. Maybe we can have a neighborhood set aside for those not wanting to fund police?
- Marcus April 17, 2022 (6:54 am)
  
  Agreed John, let’s have a neighborhood for those who do not want to fund the police. We can place all the druggies, Andover like homeless camps and speed racers. No wait, I am sorry we already have that! It is called West Seattle. Seriously, more police in cruisers and on foot would deter so much of this.
  - Jw April 17, 2022 (10:05 am)
    
    Police don’t prevent crime, they investigate and enforce after a crime has been committed (and case law has shown that it’s not something they have to do). If you want crime prevention then you should advocate funding more civil services like: mental health support, public garbage collection and restrooms, drug treatment… If you want less crime, you try to get rid of the things that force/allow people to cause crime; not get more people to punish people who have done crimes.And that’s not to say more police is a bad thing. More police is fine, but they need to be responsible for their actions and held to a higher standard than anyone else.
    - Peter S. April 17, 2022 (11:55 am)
      
      @JW: >> Police don’t prevent crime, they investigate and enforce after a crime has been committed << Not quite true. Yes, that is one of their important functions. However, there’s a noticeable decrease in the amount of lawlessness occurring on Alki whenever SPD performs one of their emphasis patrols. Unfortunately, usually only after some tragedy or serious crime. It has been repeatedly shown that a conspicuously visible police presence is a deterrent to criminal behavior. While those other things you mention are also important, it takes both a carrot and a stick.Please let me know when and where public garbage collection will start. I’d like to avail myself of that service so I can reduce my utility bill.
    - Rhonda April 17, 2022 (2:12 pm)
      
      As someone with almost two decades in law enforcement I can clearly say you don’t know what you’re talking about.
    - Marcus April 17, 2022 (7:39 pm)
      
      No Jw, I disagree with you. Police presence does in fact lower crime. If you do not believe me just look at the losses in police numbers and the increase in crime the past few years. Lived in West Seattle a lot longer than you I suspect and get real tired of the people who do not appreciate or realize that police presence decreases crime. If you do not want to improve the community that you live in, I cordially invite you to leave.
    - Jw April 18, 2022 (9:11 am)
      
      Correlation != Causation. Sure some people may be less inclined to commit some crime in front of the police like they’re playing a game of mother may I, but that doesn’t mean it stops crime from happening, it just stops it from happening in front of the police. You can’t have police everywhere and it would be better to use other methods to prevent crime other than on fear of death because the person protecting the community is jumpy. Leave the investigation and enforcement of crime to the police, use other methods to prevent crime. I’d like a portion of my taxes to then go to giving anyone on the street, for whatever reason, the ability to clean up after themselves (because they have nowhere to live or they decided to go on a walk and eat a burger they got at a local store), or go to providing a space for others to relieve themselves (again because maybe they don’t have a place of their own to do so, or maybe they were out shopping all day and don’t feel like begging a person behind a counter whether they could use the bathroom).and @Marcus you’re absolutely right, you have lived here longer. While you were living here, I was living in LA where there is more crime and more police. Just because you lived here longer means… I don’t know, that you’re potentially more familiar with the area? Trying to be a gatekeeper is noting to brag about. Unless of course your family has older deeper roots in the greater community, if that’s the case, I’m sorry your land was stolen by colonial jerks, or why did your ancestors go and start a war by stealing that pig…

Jackie April 16, 2022 (4:43 pm)

He flew around into riteaid, went through the mcdonalds, barreled straight at my car hanging out shirtless, circled around near Barton and flew by the front of Target. Immediately called 911 because I knew he was going to hurt someone.
Talked to the officer at Target, he seemed confused. Hopefully they can add the prior incident at WW onto his sentence, there’s countless witnesses and footage.

WSB April 16, 2022 (4:59 pm)

Yes, that’s why there are so many police cars in the reader photo, because they were already tracking the driver after the Westwood situation, so the two incidents are definitely officially linked. I wasn’t sure initially from radio traffic that the Sylvan Way crash was related so that’s why at the start of the story it’s a very simple declaration that Sylvan was closed because of a crash.
- Delridgeneighbor April 16, 2022 (5:52 pm)
  
  Yeah I was at the WW incident where parents were literally trapped with their children in the parking lot, not sure where to go because no where was safe. It was horrifying. Cop car right out front of the target but the officer was no where in sight, until after the suspect had peeled away. So so scary.

Parker April 16, 2022 (5:28 pm)

My wife and I saw this same guy about an hour prior driving in the same unhinged way southbound on 15th Ave at 100th Street in White Center. We were coming out of Patrick’s Cafe and he nearly ran us down. He was swerving across all lanes, playing chicken with oncoming traffic. Terrifying. Seems like he covered a lot of ground this afternoon if he was also doing this at Westwood Village and on Sylvan. I’m shocked he made it as far as he did without crashing sooner, carrying on like that.

Mj April 16, 2022 (5:32 pm)

The perp needs to be behind bars for a long long time. It’s fortunate no one was killed this time.

StopCuttingDownTrees April 16, 2022 (6:01 pm)

I was at Westwood Village just minutes before this happened and it was packed with more shoppers and foot traffic than usual. It’s a miracle no one was killed by this dangerous criminal.

flimflam April 16, 2022 (6:42 pm)

Hopefully this is enough to keep this dangerous person in jail for as long as legally possible.

wscommuter April 16, 2022 (9:32 pm)

Based on the story, he could conceivably be charged with vehicular assault (the higher level due to being intoxicated). To that, two other felonies could be added – felony elude (fleeing the police) and the stolen car. Without looking it up in the sentencing manual (and knowing nothing about his criminal history/lack thereof), he is looking at maybe 3-4 years in prison at most (unless he has a bunch of prior felonies which could push his sentencing score upward).

Dan April 16, 2022 (8:14 pm)

Happened right in front of me. I have a bad photo of the guy if y’all want. Dude’s buck naked though.

WS Mama April 17, 2022 (12:52 am)

I mean, I’m a little curious.
WS Resident April 17, 2022 (4:35 am)

Hard pass.

Tronica April 16, 2022 (9:21 pm)

This guy came rushing and swerving wildly towards the truck right in front of me as we were by the bus stop. He nearly slammed into the truck, laughing like a crazed person before he made a big right swerve away from us and a right turn into the Westwood village parking lot! I’m relieved he’s caught and it is lucky no one was killed. He seemed to think it was pretty funny!!!! NOT. Very scary.

Runner April 17, 2022 (9:02 am)

Fund the police! Train them and give them some respect for an incredibly difficult job.

Jack April 17, 2022 (10:50 am)

Yes, let’s have enough police, but we need our prosecutors and judges to come down hard on these criminals. Otherwise, it’s just catch and release by the cops.

Scubafrog April 17, 2022 (2:56 pm)

We really do have some of the finest police in the nation. Thank you, SPD. And to the SW Precinct, many blessings. I’m glad this perp was apprehended, and no one was injured.

Sorry, comment time is over.